Contrast-enhanced MR Angiography of Supraaortic Vessels: the Effect of Voxel Size on Image Quality

Overview

Journal AJNR Am J Neuroradiol

Specialty Neurology

Date 2000 Jun 28

PMID 10871006

Citations 8

Authors

X Leclerc

L Nicol

J Y Gauvrit

V Le Thuc

D Leys

J P Pruvo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background And Purpose: Several acquisition strategies may be used for imaging supraaortic vessels by using contrast-enhanced MR angiography. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of voxel size on image quality of MR angiograms.

Methods: Fourty-four patients underwent 3D MR angiography in the coronal plane. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups according to the voxel size of MR angiograms: group 1 referred to a 1.3 x 1.29 x 1.25-mm voxel size and group 2 to a 0.95 x 0.76 x 0.82 mm voxel size. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were measured and image artifacts were analyzed by consensus between observers. The delineation of the arterial lumen was independently ranked on a four-point scale (1 = not assessable; 2 = poor delineation; 3 = fair delineation; 4 = optimal delineation).

Results: The overall interobserver agreement for the delineation of the arterial lumen was good (K = .84, P < .0001), with a rank significantly higher in group 2 (68% of arteries graded as 4) compared with group 1 (76% graded as 3). SNRs were significantly higher by using the conventional resolution technique, with a negative correlation between SNRs and artery delineation (P < .0001). Image artifacts, however, were more frequent with the high-resolution technique, including wrap-around artifacts and signal fall-off at the origin of the great vessels.

Conclusion: MR angiograms with a decreased voxel size improve the delineation of cervical carotid and vertebral arteries, despite reduced SNRs and additional artifacts.

Citing Articles

CTA for screening of complicated atherosclerotic carotid plaque--American Heart Association type VI lesions as defined by MRI.

Trelles M, Eberhardt K, Buchholz M, Schindler A, Bayer-Karpinska A, Dichgans M AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2013; 34(12):2331-7.

PMID: 23868157 PMC: 7965199. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A3607.

Quality-evaluation scheme for cerebral time-resolved 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography techniques.

Raoult H, Ferre J, Morandi X, Carsin-Nicol B, Carsin M, Cuggia M AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2010; 31(8):1480-7.

PMID: 20448014 PMC: 7966114. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A2093.

Preliminary experience with MRA in evaluating the degree of carotid stenosis and plaque morphology using high-resolution sequences after gadofosveset trisodium (Vasovist) administration: comparison with CTA and DSA.

Anzidei M, Napoli A, Geiger D, Cavallo Marincola B, Zini C, Zaccagna F Radiol Med. 2010; 115(4):634-47.

PMID: 20177976 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-010-0535-y.

3D high-spatial-resolution cerebral MR venography at 3T: a contrast-dose-reduction study.

Tomasian A, Salamon N, Krishnam M, Finn J, Villablanca J AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2008; 30(2):349-55.

PMID: 18945800 PMC: 7051376. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A1319.

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography of the carotid and vertebrobasilar circulations.

Yang C, Carr J, Futterer S, Morasch M, Yang B, Shors S AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2005; 26(8):2095-101.

PMID: 16155164 PMC: 8148843.

References

Siegelman E, Gilfeather M, Holland G, Carpenter J, Golden M, Townsend R . Breath-hold ultrafast three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography of the renovascular system. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1997; 168(4):1035-40. DOI: 10.2214/ajr.168.4.9124110. View

Pipe J . Asymmetric sampling along k(slice-select) in two-dimensional multislice MRI. Magn Reson Med. 1998; 39(4):625-34. DOI: 10.1002/mrm.1910390416. View

Rofsky N, Adelman M . Gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography of the carotid arteries: a small step, a giant leap?. Radiology. 1998; 209(1):31-4. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.209.1.9769808. View

Foo T, Saranathan M, Prince M, Chenevert T . Automated detection of bolus arrival and initiation of data acquisition in fast, three-dimensional, gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography. Radiology. 1997; 203(1):275-80. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.203.1.9122407. View

Isoda H, Takehara Y, Isogai S, Takeda H, Kaneko M, Nozaki A . Technique for arterial-phase contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography of the carotid and vertebral arteries. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1998; 19(7):1241-4. PMC: 8332233. View

Willig D, Turski P, Frayne R, Graves V, Korosec F, Swan J . Contrast-enhanced 3D MR DSA of the carotid artery bifurcation: preliminary study of comparison with unenhanced 2D and 3D time-of-flight MR angiography. Radiology. 1998; 208(2):447-51. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.208.2.9680574. View

Leys D, Lucas C, Gobert M, Deklunder G, Pruvo J . Cervical artery dissections. Eur Neurol. 1997; 37(1):3-12. DOI: 10.1159/000117396. View

Kopka L, Vosshenrich R, Rodenwaldt J, Grabbe E . Differences in injection rates on contrast-enhanced breath-hold three-dimensional MR angiography. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1998; 170(2):345-8. DOI: 10.2214/ajr.170.2.9456943. View

Prince M, Narasimham D, Stanley J, Chenevert T, Williams D, Marx M . Breath-hold gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography of the abdominal aorta and its major branches. Radiology. 1995; 197(3):785-92. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.197.3.7480757. View

10.

Ito K, Kato J, Okada S, Kumazaki T . K-space filter effect in three-dimensional contrast MR angiography. Acta Radiol. 1997; 38(1):173-5. DOI: 10.1080/02841859709171263. View

11.

Huston 3rd J, Fain S, Riederer S, Wilman A, Bernstein M, Busse R . Carotid arteries: maximizing arterial to venous contrast in fluoroscopically triggered contrast-enhanced MR angiography with elliptic centric view ordering. Radiology. 1999; 211(1):265-73. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.211.1.r99ap08265. View

12.

Hoffmann M, Sacco R, Chan S, Mohr J . Noninvasive detection of vertebral artery dissection. Stroke. 1993; 24(6):815-9. DOI: 10.1161/01.str.24.6.815. View

13.

Mezrich R . A perspective on K-space. Radiology. 1995; 195(2):297-315. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.195.2.7724743. View

14.

Kim J, Farb R, Wright G . Test bolus examination in the carotid artery at dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography. Radiology. 1998; 206(1):283-9. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.206.1.9423685. View

15.

Lentschig M, Reimer P, Allkemper T, Oelerich M, Laub G . Breath-hold gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography of the major vessels at 1.0 T: dose-response findings and angiographic correlation. Radiology. 1998; 208(2):353-7. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.208.2.9680558. View

16.

Remonda L, Heid O, Schroth G . Carotid artery stenosis, occlusion, and pseudo-occlusion: first-pass, gadolinium-enhanced, three-dimensional MR angiography--preliminary study. Radiology. 1998; 209(1):95-102. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.209.1.9769818. View

17.

Bakker J, Beek F, Beutler J, Hene R, De Kort G, de Lange E . Renal artery stenosis and accessory renal arteries: accuracy of detection and visualization with gadolinium-enhanced breath-hold MR angiography. Radiology. 1998; 207(2):497-504. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.207.2.9577501. View

18.

Amarenco P, Cohen A, Hommel M, Moulin T, Leys D, Bousser M . Atherosclerotic disease of the aortic arch as a risk factor for recurrent ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med. 1996; 334(19):1216-21. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199605093341902. View

19.

Schuler J, Flanigan D, Lim L, Keifer T, Williams L, Behrend A . The effect of carotid siphon stenosis on stroke rate, death, and relief of symptoms following elective carotid endarterectomy. Surgery. 1982; 92(6):1058-67. View

20.

Ho K, de Haan M, Kessels A, Kitslaar P, van Engelshoven J . Peripheral vascular tree stenoses: detection with subtracted and nonsubtracted MR angiography. Radiology. 1998; 206(3):673-81. DOI: 10.1148/radiology.206.3.9494485. View